Glacier Park rafting on the Middle Fork

The river along the park's edge

The Middle Fork of the Flathead River forms the southern boundary of Glacier National Park. Like the North Fork, which marks the western boundary, it is protected as a Wild and Scenic River, so the park rises from one bank. Glacier Raft Company runs both of the trips we compare from its office at 106 Going-to-the-Sun Rd in West Glacier. You check in there, and a bus carries you to the river and back.

The company's two half-day trips are the most-reviewed tours on this site by far. On Viator the whitewater trip has 1,984 reviews and the float 865, both averaging 4.9. Each one is recommended by 99% of reviewers. Numbers like that leave little doubt about the operator, so the real choice is which stretch of water suits your group.

Scenic float or whitewater

The scenic float, from ~$77, spends about two hours on quiet water through a walled canyon. It passes the confluence with the North Fork at the park's southern tip and comes out near Blankenship Bridge, where the bus waits. Reviewers often mention eagles and osprey, plus the odd deer. Bear or moose appear only rarely. Wildlife is never guaranteed, and some guests see no big animals at all. The catch is the pace in low water late in summer, when the float can feel slow.

The whitewater half day, from ~$77, runs nine named rapids over about 8 miles of the John F. Stevens Canyon. The first 4 miles or so are mellow. Then the rapids build to Bonecrusher, where the company photographs each boat, with souvenir photos for sale afterwards. Swim stops happen when conditions allow, and the trip finishes by floating under the historic Belton Bridge. Helmets and life jackets are required, and Viator shows youth rates for children 12 and under.

Choosing between calm water and rapids

Both trips cost the same, so the choice comes down to the water and to the people in your boat. The whitewater sets firm limits, a minimum weight of 50 lb and no children under 5. It is also not for pregnant travelers or anyone with limited mobility. Parents praise river guides such as Moose for the way they handle kids. If anyone in your party falls outside those limits, the float is the trip for them.

Access on the float is less clear. GetYourGuide lists it as wheelchair accessible while Viator says it is not, so ask Glacier Raft Company directly before you book. Glacier tours for seniors and families compares the river trips with the land tours on pace and access.

June high water, August warm-up

The river changes through the summer as the snowmelt passes. In June the water is at its biggest and coldest, and the whitewater half day takes about 2.5 hours. From mid-July into early August it runs about 3 hours, and from mid-August, as the level drops, about 3.5 hours with gentler rapids. For the wildest ride go early, and for a longer, warmer day on softer water go late. The float follows the same pattern, so in late summer expect more drifting.

Both trips run rain or shine. Seats go weeks ahead in peak summer, and on Viator travelers book the whitewater about 38 days ahead on average and the float about 50. The best time for a Glacier tour sets the river season against the rest of the year.

When the rafts come off the river

The river trips belong to summer, and once autumn sets in the rafts wait for the next snowmelt. The Middle Fork itself keeps flowing past West Glacier. Tour Glacier's winter driving tour, from ~$250, stops at the historic Belton Bridge, the same footbridge the whitewater boats float under at the finish of their run, so a winter visitor can look down on that water with snow along the banks. You watch rather than paddle, on a short, cold day that stays in the lower valley, and our winter guide covers the rest of it.

What to wear on the river

• Shoes that stay on. Closed shoes or shoes with backs; flip-flops are not allowed. Once wetsuits are no longer needed, water shoes or booties rent for $7. Some reviewers found the footwear fees confusing, so ask at check-in;
• Wetsuits and fleece. Free on the whitewater trip when conditions need them, along with splash gear. The float includes splash gear too;
• A change of clothes and a towel. Leave them in the car for afterwards;
• Sunscreen and water. Both are on the company's own list, as are the towel and the spare clothes;
• Cash. Tips are not included, and river guides expect them.

Arrive 30 minutes early for check-in. No food comes with the half-day trips, so have a meal beforehand or plan one for later. The packing guide has the full list season by season.

Longer days with lunch or dinner

Two longer trips from the same company sit outside our main six. The deluxe full day with a riverside lunch, from ~$166, starts with a morning float and a barbecue on the bank (a bison burger is among the options), then runs Class II and III water in the afternoon, about 6 hours in all. The catch is a long day on the water for roughly twice the half-day price.

Whitewater with dinner, from ~$113, takes about 3.5 hours, with dinner after an afternoon on the rapids. Reviews score it 5.0 on both sites. Its catch is the late-afternoon slot, which runs in summer only and fills the evening rather than the morning.

A river day plus a land day

The river covers the park's edge, so give the inside its own day. Tour Glacier's west side driving tour, from ~$250, collects you in the valley towns and spends 6–7 hours around Lake McDonald with a picnic lunch. The morning nature walk, from ~$70, meets in West Glacier at 9:30 am and returns by 1:30 pm, with two easy loops inside the park.

A room in West Glacier lets you walk to the raft office, and our guide to where to stay compares it with the valley towns. Our wildlife guide covers the birds and other animals you might spot from the boat. For the whole bill including tips and shoes, turn to what a Glacier National Park tour costs.